Practical
Plants

Rubus nepalensis

Nepalese Raspberry

a perennial woody evergreen member of the Rubus genus in the family Rosaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Rosaceae
Genus
Rubus
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
evergreen
Woodiness
woody
Growth rate
moderate
Height
0.2 m
Spread
1 m
Fertility
Self fertile, Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Fruit - raw or cooked[1][2]. A very well flavoured and reasonably sized raspberry with just a little sourness[K]. It generally fruits well in the garden, though there are some forms that produce very little fruit, or poorly shaped fruits[K].

Plant part
Fruit

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

A purple to dull blue dye is obtained from the fruit[4]. An excellent ground-cover plant, forming a quite effective weed-suppressing mulch[K].

Product or use
Dye

Ecology and functions

Ecosystem niche
Soil surface

Ground cover

Environment

Range
E. Asia - Himalayas.
Habitat
Rocks, banks and shrubberies to 3300 metres[6].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 8+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - requires stratification, is best sown in early autumn in a cold frame. Sow stored seed as early as possible in the year in a cold frame and stratify for a month at 3°c if sowing later than February. Prick out the seedlings when they are large enough to handle and grow on in a cold frame. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring of the following year. Tip layering in July. Plant out in autumn. Division in early spring. Very easy, the plants can be divided successfully at almost any time of the year. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found it best to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame, planting them out once they are well established in the summer.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Easily grown in a good well-drained loamy soil in sun or semi-shade[1][3][5]. Prefers a sheltered semi-shady position[3]. Plants survive considerable neglect, they can grow and spread in long grass though they do not fruit well in such a position[K]. Plants are not very drought tolerant[K]. The Nepalese raspberry is a very ornamental plant, though it loses some of its leaves in a cold winter and can look a little bedraggled at this time[K]. It is also unhappy in exposed maritime situations and in a sunny position in very hot summers. A report that this species is not hardy in zones colder than 9 is very questionable, the plant has survived quite hard frosts with us in Cornwall and grows happily at Kew Gardens[K]. There is also a clump growing successfully in a sheltered position in the semi-shade of trees at Cambridge Botanical gardens, this fruited quite well in the summer of 1996[K]. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[5].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  2. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

    ↩

  3. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  4. Grae. I. Nature's Colors - Dyes from Plants. MacMillan Publishing Co. New York. 1974-00-00 ISBN 0-02-544950-8

    ↩

  5. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2

  6. Polunin. O. and Stainton. A. Flowers of the Himalayas. Oxford Universtiy Press 1984-00-00

    ↩

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